Cabinent: Fashola Allowed 2 Slots Only…..As Tinubu Nominate BRF`s Enemy
As the Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola, dissolves his cabinet on Monday to begin the reconstitution of a new cabinet, one prominent name that has sprung up, according to investigation by Huhuonline.com, is that of his arch-enemy. His name is Dele Alake, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state during the period of former governor Bola Tinubu, who is now leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Alake, who has been a close friend of Tinubu, left with the former governor after he successfully laundered the later's image and took over the running of some of the former governor's media organisations including Radio and Television Continental, based in Ketu, Lagos.
Since then he has been with the former governor allegedly carrying out jobs that has to do with image promotion for him.
The former Commissioner, who has always seen the current governor, Babatunde Fashola, as a junior colleague, was alleged to be the brain behind the unearthing of the allegation of corruption against governor Fashola when the governor had political issues with Tinubu.
Huhuonline.com learnt that he was actually the brain behind the creation of the True Face of Lagos, an organisation that churned out information about moneies claimed to have been misappropriated by governor Fashola. The group also sent petitions to the state House of Assembly to, first, investigate the allegation with a promise to come out with more information about the governor's alleged financial recklessness.
Then, the group later sent another letter to the House of Assembly castigating it for its refusal to do justice to the petition. But the House of Assembly replied that it could not go on due to an order of a Lagos state High Court, which put a hold on the investigation.
Throughout this same period, the former Commissioner never recognized the governor whenever they met at events. He never shook hands with Fashola or accorded him the regards of the office of the governor.
However, the political problem between Fashola and Tinubu were resolved while Alake moved to Ekiti to contest a senatorial seat with Opeyemi Bamidele, his successor in the state Ministry of Information a nd Strategy and Babafemi Ojudu, a media guru.
While Ojudu won the ACN primaries for the seat, Bamidele was advised to move to contest the House of Representative seat, which he won. But Alake, it was understood, hearkened to the advice of the party's leader to step down, and he did, however, not without lamenting the way the primaries was conducted in Ekiti.
He said: "When I joined the race for the senatorial seat in Ekiti, I was motivated by the higher ideal of offering service and quality representation to the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District in particular, Ekiti State and Nigeria in general.
"I felt that my God-given intellect, talent, elocution and erudiction/articulation, experience, exposure, knowledge and vision would be best put to the service of my people in the National Assembly through a clean electoral process.
"I did not envisage that an intra-party primary would degenerate into malpractices, fraud, violence and brigandage... I have come to the painful conclusion that it will be an uphill task for decent people with a sense of propriety to be part of any such process again.
"In the light of this and after due consultations with well-meaning Nigerians across the geo-political divides and given the fact that I subscribed to the principle and value of playing the game by the rule and also the fact that I cherish the quality of my name, status, stature and my image , I have decided not to be part of any such arrangement because there is no guarantee that the same thing will not occur again. Politics, for me, is not a do-or-die affair.
"I do not and will not be part of a scheme that will hoodwink the public because I want to serve them. If anyone resorts to monetary inducement, brigandage and cohesion, then such person's motive can never be to serve. I, therefore, withdraw my participation in any political arrangement that is not above board."
But Huhuonline.com has learnt that to compensate him for his loyalty, he has been nominated for appointment in the new cabinet, a situation many residents of Lagos see as a move to scuttle Fashola's effectiveness in the next four years. Our checks reveal that when Gov. Fashola reconstitutes his cabinet, he will be allowed to nominate only two commissioners, while his mentor, Ahmed Tinubu is expected to fill the remaining slots with his loyalists. The ministries assigned to Gov. Fashola are Justice and finance.
Huhuonline.com reported weeks ago that there were plans by Tinubu to appoint his men into key positions in order to monitor activities within the state and Alausa, where the Government House is located.